Milk_Shake Daily Frequent Shampoo

Milk_Shake Daily Frequent Shampoo - £10.25 Beauty Bay

I'd never normally pick up a shampoo for such a high price however I fell a little in love with Milk_Shake as a brand and their delicious scents after trying their whipped cream leave in conditioner a long while ago. I was obviously feeling a little flush as I'm more of what evers £2 in tesco kind of girl when it comes to shampoo. This was a gorgeous little treat though it has a fresh apple scent and is paraben free leaving hair squeaky clean. If you're all about a sleek looking bathroom down to your products then this range is so perfect - I think the branding and packaging is on point. Sleek white bottles with simple text is so up my street and represents the brand perfectly. I personally think the scent of this was too nice for a shampoo and it seemed a shame to through on styling products and conditioners after it as the treat was covered with other things. I think their range is much better suited to the final styling products so you can smell them for much longer I have my eye on their hair repairing treatment, glistening serum, & leave in conditioner. 

Have you tried anything from Milk_Shake that's a must have? 

John Freida - Luxurious Volume Blow Dry Lotion Root Booster

As if I needed anymore volume inducing hair products - this one was just £5.99 in Boots (currently 2 for £8). I'm always a little scared of products I have to spray directly to my roots from the fear of having greasy locks straight after washing them. However I went through with it and spritzed all through the roots of my freshly washed hair. I didn't need to worry once blow dried you can't even tell this is there. This didn't give me a much volume as I perhaps would have liked but it did avoid that freshly washed flat feeling I get when my hair is first washed. It gives it that bit more oomph that makes styling easier and just leaving my hair natural more acceptable and far less flat and lifeless. This is a welcome addition to my haircare routine not that I needed any more products to join in.

£1.49 Nourishing Natural Hair Oil

The longer my hair gets the more nourishment it needs and I've recently been looking for more natural and chemical free products to fit into my haircare routine. I picked up this almond oil from Superdrug for just £1.49 and my hair has loved it. For that tiny price you get a whopping 200ml of oil which will last me absolutely ages. Almond oil has a long list of benefits for skin and hair - Almond oil naturally works to help split ends and heavy hair fall, making hair look healthy with more shine, and is a good substitute for leave in conditioners. 

I've been using it for a little while and my hair has loved it. I haven't replaced my normal branded hair oils post wash through the ends of my hair as almond oil doesn't have a scent you'd really want to swish around with you all day. I have however been including it my hair conditioning treatments. I rub this through the lengths of my hair and massage it into the scalp - this stays on all day and then I wash it out before bed (a Sunday thing). I've really loved being able to be generous with an oil that doesn't cost the earth it also has been great for my scalp. My hair is so much less weighed down and shinier after using this. 

The only downside of this is the oversized bottle that spills everywhere but I've overcome this by decanting it into my Tresemme hair oil bottle with pump (favourite hair oil bottle of all the bottles). I've really loved introducing this into my hair care routine - you can really feel that it's just full of goodness. I'm trying out coconut oil as well as the scent means that can be used on damp washed hair too. There's lots of natural oils in the superdrug range so if you've tried any I'd love to hear your thoughts too. 

Tresemme Texture Style - Divine Definition Spray

Tresemme Texture Style Divine Definition Spray £5.50 Boots

I definitely didn't need another hair texture spray but I do enjoy using and trying them out. I really love the Vo5 texturising spray  but I'm massively fickle and nothing's ever perfect. The Tresemme texture style divine definition spray is very similar. It's a little more 'airy' though by 'airy' I mean it kind of blasts your hair bigger at the time but does give you that same overall effect after a little settling down. It adds volume and texture to the hair whilst staying matte. I'm not a huge orange/ black fan so the can doesn't hugely appeal but the product is good. I don't think it's that much better or more outstanding than the Vo5 one though that comes in at nearly £2 cheaper so I'd still hold my opinion that the Vo5 spray is my favorite but if this is ever on offer or in your supermarket I would recommend it for the dry messy layered look.

Batiste Dry Conditioner

Batiste Dry Conditioner £3.99 Boots

I've never tried or heard of dry conditioner before but as a firm batiste lover I thought it definitely couldn't hurt to give it a go. Dry conditioners do the opposite of dry shampoo's by aiming to tame and add shine rather than matte and reduce oil to the hair. The idea is you can use dry shampoo for the roots of your hair matte them and add volume whilst spritzing this through the length and ends of your hair to tame fly away ends and add shine. As like all Batiste products this smells really lovely and feels more nourishing than your average shine spray. It hasn't made it's way into my everyday routine but when I remember to use it I really do love using it. I can imagine this becoming so popular for long hair as it revives those dry ends without feeling like it will dry them out further after a wash. 

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil

I really loved using the Organix coconut milk anti-breakage serum so was really excited to see Santa (my boyfriend) had popped the Moroccan argan oil from the range into my stocking. I've tried lots of hair oils and spend most evenings especially Sunday's covering the mid length to tips of my hair in the stuff so it doesn't dry out completely. The Organix moroccan penetrating argan oil is very different to other hair oils I've tried. It has much thicker consistency but still rubs into damp hair in the same way. I find it's consistency means I use a lot less product however I do find the product doesn't leave my hands very readily. Most hair oils melt into the hair completely but I find I still have a lot of residue left on my fingertips even after using the smallest amount. I do prefer hair oils with pump dispensers but the squeeze bottle on this does make it easy enough to use. I feel this penetrates the hair more so than others I've tried and the silkiness is more than a one day effect. Overall I'm really enjoying using this about once a week for a more thorough hair treatment and as you need the smallest amount it is very good value for money.

Tresemme Thermal Recovery Deep Treatment Masque

Tresemme Thermal Recovery Deep Treatment Masque - RRP £5.49 (Superdrug)

I've always had a love for Tresemme as the products they produce and I buy never seem to let me down. My hair is not loving the winter cold and is awfully in need of huge amounts of moisture so I picked this up due to its sheer size (500ml) knowing it would easily see my locks through the winter months. It says its for heat damaged hair but I find it's just perfect for dry hair that needs extra nourishment. I find Tresemme products scent hard to put my finger on the only way to describe it is that salon scent that all Tresemme products have and that I really love. This hair masque is nothing revolutionary but it really does do the job - I put it through mid length to the ends and leave it in over night for super nourishment. This hair mask is amazing value for money though a 500ml tub for just over a fiver and often on offer is brilliant! This tub will be on my dresser all winter long, I'll be extra generous with it to make sure my hair doesn't completely dry out before spring comes around.

Tresemme Silky Smooth Glossing Spray

Tresemme Glossing Spray £4.99 Boots

I keep trying to avoid going into town so I can attempt to save some money but I think it's just resulting in buying myself treats in supermarkets - mainly hair products. This week I picked up the tresemme glossing spray for a few reasons mainly because who doesn't want shiny locks like Kate Middleton, I do love Tresemme they never let me down, and it said argan oil on the bottle so I thought a little bit of nourishment wouldn't go a miss either. 

I've been using this for a few weeks now and I as I normally go for a matte textured (messy) hair look it's been quite nice spritzing this through the lengths of my hair to add a little shine. This spray is really light and once dry you can't feel it at all. It adds a really nice light gloss to the hair that looks really natural and healthy. I sometimes find glossing sprays a little greasy but this isn't at all. Overall I'tm really enjoying using it - it's adding nourishment and shine to my normally pretty limp and dry hair.

Christmas Obsessions: Hair Care Gift Guide

Save
Palmers Coconut Oil Hair Mask - £3.09
Palmers Olive Oil Conditioning Spray - £4.49
John Frieda Full Repair Conditioner - £6
L'Oreal Intense Hair Mask - £6.99

Spend
Morroccan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner - £17 each
Tara Smith Feed the Root Kit - £12.50

Splurge
Bedhead Party Gift Set - £30
Morroccan Oil Styling Essentials Gift Set - £48

Batiste Cherry Dry Shampoo

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry RRP £2.99 (£1.99 in Boots)

Dry shampoo is an everyday staple in my hair routine not only reviving hair between washes but also to just add some texture to my hair that's gotten ever so long. I've tried most own brand dry shampoo's and some competitors and none really hit the mark like Batiste does. I have no fear of white roots with Batiste which is why I've always got a bottle in my cabinet. I normally stick to the original or tropical but fancied a change when stocking up so went for cherry mainly because the bottle is ever so pretty. This reminds me a little of the cherry's that 'my baby all gone' used to eat off the never ending spoon when I was little. It's ever so sweet but I do like that the scent on these doesn't really linger around so it's just a nice burst when applying it first thing on a dreary November morning. 

Dove Heat Defence Protection Mist

Dove Heat Defence Protection Mist - £1.79 Tesco

Dove is a brand synonymous with nourishment and moisturising - this product is no different. I try not to use heat on my hair if I can help it as my hair is now really long so I don't want to dry it out anymore than it already is. This protection mist smells of that standard dove scent and spritz's onto the hair leaving it really moisturised. When straightening my hair this product leaves really shiny still and avoids any straightening frizz anywhere. It always seems to be half price from its RRP of £3.50ish and I think for less than £2 it's a real winner and is currently my go to hair protection spray when I do use heat to style my hair. 

Morrocan Oil Travel Size Mini's Set

Moroccanoil Travel Kit £33.85 Feel Unique

I received this kit so long ago as a gift and I've been scared to use it for 2 reasons. 1. I didn't want to like the products in it as much as I already like the moroccan oil as I can't afford to bring them into my everyday hair care. 2. They are all so mini I didn't want to use them up too quickly. But the other weekend I had a long weekend away with friends and thought it was time to just bite the bullet and use these gorgeous little mini's. I've already professed my love for the moroccan hair oil (original review here) which I am still making the mini bottles I get in gift sets last forever. 

The shampoo and conditioner are pretty special - they leave the hair so smooth, silky and leaves the hair feeling full of natural oils. It leaves my hair feeling like so nourished and soft literally like no other shampoo conditioner combo I've ever tried. However after one or two uses it's a dream but any more I find my hair gets greasy far too quickly and builds up oil too heavily. It's a lovely once a week wash for my hair but I'm super glad it's not something I want in my everyday hair routine as 250ml of either shampoo or conditioner come in at nearly £20 a bottle. 

The intense hydrating mask is again a really lovely product it's a much richer thicker version of the standard conditioner where a little goes a really long way. 250ml of this mask costs nearly £25 as much as I love it I'm really not in the market for such a pricey hair mask at the moment. If I'm looking for hair treats I'd definitely head to Moroccanoil as all of their products really nourish my hair and give it a salon finish.  

Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner

Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner 250ml £15.20 75ml £6.05

I've had this product for so long and my experience has been a bit blah. The biggest hurdle for me is the directions for use - you need to apply this to clean dry roots. It took ages to build up to giving this ago as why would you want to cover your lovely clean roots with product? It just isn't natural and even when I did get round to trying it I did it on a Sunday when I had no where to go. 

It doesn't give you greasy roots - massive plus. It's an odd product as it is the consistency of water, doesn't really smell of anything and your kind of left wondering if you've been a little conned into buying a very pretty bottle of water. I have had a really dry scalp this winter - nothing I've tried has really combated it and I'm not sure this has either. I honestly think this product has done nothing for me - my hair hasn't grown any more than normal and my scalp doesn't seem to improve when using it. I really wanted this product to be a little miracle worker but I can't put my finger on any real reason why I'd buy it again. 

I'd love to hear other people's experiences or any tips on combating dry scalps in these cold winter months?

VO5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil

VO5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil Boots £5.19

I'm a little obsessed with hair oils at the moment even though I think I've found the best in the Morroccan Hair Oil Treatment the search for something that can match but be a whole lot cheaper. I picked up the VO5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil from Boots a few months ago. It comes with a built in pippet which is a little too science experiment for me. It works I guess in the sense that you always get the right amount of oil out  but I find it a little faffy and prefer to pour straight from the bottle. I like a pump dispenser on hair oils really so this was a little down point for me. 

The oil's not as runny as some cheaper alternatives and it glides into the hair really well. It means you don't need very much of this too which I like as it makes it much better value for money than a lot of the hair oils I've tried. It smells like most hair oils (nothing really to comment there) and really nourishes the ends of my hair. I apply it when my hair is damp and my hair just soaks up. I really like it overall it's a lovely addition to my hair oil collection - it's not a blow you away hair oil but it's quite a cute one to take in an overnight bag. 

Christmas Gift Guide - Hair Obsessions

Her 
Save  Ojon Damage Reverse™ Restorative Hair Treatment 50ml £16  // Charles Worthington Salon at Home Secrets Collection Moisture Seal Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer 200ml £9.99

Spend Moroccan Oil Treatment £30.45 // TIGI Bed Head Styleshots Epic Volume Tween Shampoo & Conditioner Duo 2 x 750ml £24.95

Splurge  ghd Scarlet Deluxe Limited Edition Collection Set £134.90 // Macadamia Luxe Repair Set £51

Moroccanoil Treatment

Morroccanoil Treatment - 25ml £12.35 100ml £30.45  feelunique.com 

I have become a little obsessed with hair oils over the last few months - since ruining my locks with the short lived 'ombre' effect my hair is desperately asking me to treat it nicely. I've tried quite a few hair oils in the hope of getting my old hair. L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil, Tresemme Liquid Gold, and Organix Coconut Oil Serum to name but a few. However much I've loved them and they've worked for my hair I've always had the age old beauty blogger feeling of but I'm sure there's better - and as Moroccanoil is down as the original and the best I've been so desperate to try it for ages.

The thing that has stopped me is the price tag - £12.35 for 25 mere millilitres seems more than extreme when you can pick up some competitors for half the price and 4x the amount of product. However when it was featured in the recent Glossybox Exclusive Edition I couldn't pass it by.

Morroccanoil is a little luxurious glass bottle coming neatly packaged in a very cute little box. I love the branding of Morrocanoil it screams high end hair care and is simple yet informative. I kind of didn't want to like this product partly because I don't want to keep repurchasing it but I did like it - I liked it a lot. I've only been using it for just over a week but it's had a lasting effect on my hair unlike some previous hair oils I've tried that tend to make my hair only feel nourished during the day after I've applied them. Since using Morrocanoil I've also noticed my hair is more manageable after showering which means it must have some lasting effects.

Overall I love this product and think it will be hairs little treat. I find I only need a tiny amount to cover the ends of my hair so I have a feeling this little bottle will last me well. I've popped another mini bottle on my Christmas wish list. I don't intend to be repurchasing this all the time it will firmly be a Christmas or Birthday list buy I think. Maybe if I get a bonus as well it will be purchased in amongst some other expensive goodies I am lusting after - I do think this is worth the money but I also can't justify it all the time on my current budget. My hunt for a drug store alternative that matches up to Morrocanoil's lasting power is still firmly on. I'm also excited to see if this lives up to the claim that it makes your hair grow quicker - would love to read others reviews if you've given this a go please pop in the comments below :)

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Spray

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Spray* £5.50 Tesco

I've had this Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Spray for a good few months but with the hot weather I just haven't had an opportunity to try it out properly. Now winter has set in my use of heat tools has too. I've been using this product before straightening and hair drying and I really like it. I was trying to figure out if it is any different to other heat protection sprays I've used and I'm not sure it is really but it ticks all my boxes. It smells really good, it leaves my hair shiny and protects it - a winner.

Hair Stripping, Dying, Red, Brown and Ombre.

I rarely go to hairdressers - if I go its once a year to get a bit of a trim or a few inches off. I have only once let a hairdresser put dye on my hair I was about 13 and my mum paid for me to have blonde highlights in my mousey brown hair. It was a terrible experience and I left hours later with not very nice blonde streaks going through my head. Hairdressers have always complimented my hair, not in terms of its style or anything but 

I've always looked after it, used heat protection sprays, hair masks and rarely use heat at all mostly letting it dry naturally. 

The one thing I do do to my hair though is colour it at home. It's a quick change when I fancy it that I've become almost weirdly addicted to. I think I first dyed my hair about age 18 and it's been black, red and every shade of brown known to man since. The one thing I've never touched is blonde and bleach mostly because I have really dark eye brows and I just wouldn't suit blonde. So when the Ombre trend took hold I thought it would be a fun chance to try some blonde without dying my whole head or losing my brown completely. This is a story of complete indecisiveness and obsession with the speed and dramatic change dye can bring and an out and out damaged mane to end it. 

Stage  One: 

My 'red phase' had been going on for a good year and I was getting bored - my tips had really bad colour build up and the colour seemed to get really greasy really quickly. Reading about Colour B4 products you could do at home I decided to strip it off and go back to brown. 

Stage Two: 

I Colour B4'd and went a weird shade of ginger. 

Stage Three: 

I was brown for a little while - not long at all but for a little while I was a simple reddish brown. If only I could be satisfied with one colour for longer than a month ... 

Stage Four: 

After lusting over many lovely ladies with ombre hair I decided it was time to buy some bleach. Being my first time I didn't leave it on for long it left a very subtle (I wish I kept this) fade into a lighter brown. My hair didn't feel damaged at all so ... 

Stage Five: 

I bought another packet of bleach where I left it on for the full time possible and it only looked good on instagram. I cringe and hate any pictures from this time period. My hair was a horrible reddish dark brown into an orange toned blonde. It literally only looked good on instagram it was awful. I knew it was awful at the time but I didn't know how to make it right - my hair already needed so much hair oil and serums just to keep it from matting constantly. 

Stage Six: 

So after some horrible holiday pictures I came home and bought yet more bleach - I took it higher and blended it much more. Curled my hair looked ok here - I still hate the tone of blonde it was but it was passable curly. The problem I have is I never have time to curl my hair so I needed to change it yet again. 

Stage Seven: 

I Colour B4'd again in a vain attempt to lose some of the red tone to my hair and get it back brown. 

Stage Eight: 

I very carefully died the brown bit of my hair brown. You can't even tell the difference between stage 6 and stage 8 it was a pathetic attempt to make it better but it just looked the same and I had to endure the egg smelling Colour B4 once again. 

Stage Nine: 

So despite this lack of change what did I do - O yeah I went and Colour B4'd it again - twice. This took my hair back to the lightest its ever been. It was pretty ginger and by this point the ends had completely died. However it seemed like my only option to try and make my roots as light as possible to be able to gain some sort of similar colour throught the hair length. 

Stage Ten: 

I died the lot brown - without realising the brown dyes on bleached hair actually turn it a little bit green - great. It was not shrek green but in certain lights it was definitely tinted green. However for me this subtle colour change was what I wanted and without the harsh orange toned blonde seen previously I was getting happier ... 

Then finally Stage Eleven: 

Yes literally I have been through Eleven stages - it would have been cheaper to go to a salon if I'm honest. I shock myself at how fickle and indecisive I actually am. I spend hours choosing foundation which can be washed off yet when it comes to permanent hair changes I seem to pick up different colours alongside vegetables in the supermarket. The reason why stage eleven is here is because I need a strong and consistent shade of brown now - as my hair is so ridiculously damaged, knots like never before I spend so long brushing it that it's become thin and just not what my hair used to be. I will be buying clip in hair extensions for nights out and big occasions for a little while just because hair this thin and damaged just makes me sad. 

This is where I'm at now... 

In natural light it does still graduate a little bit and it isn't 100% green free but it is so much better - I am a happy brunette now knowing the grass definitely isn't greener. 

Part of me regrets doing all this to my hair but I kind of thing knowing what I'm like it was going to happen at some point and I'm glad I did it when the trend was only your tips not an entire head. I've learnt so much about hair and tones and what not to do that I'm grateful I'm still young enough to have weird hair for a while. .. I think :/ If you have any dye in your hair I don't think ombre takes very well it left me with a weird tone that just didn't work. I've seen lots of girls with naturally brown hair and it works and the blonde isn't harsh. Bleach is horrible it has changed the texture and life of my hair. It now mattes all the time the only way to combat this is to drench the ends in hair masks and hair oils every night then wash them out in the morning. With hair oil it is starting to get better but until it grows enough for me to have it all cut out it just isn't the same. 

I wanted to do this post because I feel like in the last three months I've drastically changed everything about my hair and it's just a reminder to myself to start thinking about my hair choices a little more. Will I follow my own advice next time hair dye is on offer in Boots? Probably not but hopefully I'll stick with brown toned dyes with no red in and definitely no bleach! 

Charles Worthington Shine Gloss Spray

I have literally had this pretty little bottle in my hair stash for month and have only recently got round to using it. I think my obsessions with hair oils have kind of taken over my hair care routine and not left much room for anything else really. However when having a massive storage overhaul after my birthday (huge post to come) I thought it was definitely time to try it out. As a massive fan of literally every single thing I have bought from the Charles Worthington range I had high expectations.

Most shine sprays I've used have dispensed via a hair spray like aerosol bottle - this one is very difference and dispenses like heat protection or most leave in conditioners. It's clear and glides evenly over the hair. I really enjoy using it over the ends of my hair - it is in no way greasy but for some reason I never like putting product on my roots unless it is seriously matte. It's a lovely addition to dry hair and I should really try and get a lot more use of it than I do.

I am continuously reaching for hair oils morning and night at the moment so this product only really gets used over hair on nights out a touch up throughout the day maybe. Even though I don't use all that much it is one of the best shine sprays I have tried. I love that you can see the contents, and that it isn't a hairspray mist so you can direct where you want it a little more accurately. It's available in Boots for £5.19 here and I do think if you are after a shine spray this is definitely one worth trying.